Novena in honour of St Therese of Lisieux in St Eugene’s Cathedral in Derry

During this Mass the sacrament of the anointing of the sick will be celebrated.

The theme of the Novena for this year is a quotation from St Therese, “At the heart of the Church, my mother, I will be love.”

Bishop McKeown will give the opening talk of the Novena during devotions at 6.00pm on Sunday evening.

Each day from Monday May 8 to Friday, May 12 there will be a Novena Mass at 6.30am and 10.00am. Each evening there will be evening devotions at 7.30pm with a guest speaker.

On Monday night Marion Carroll will be the guest speaker. Marion was cured from Multiple Sclerosis in Knock Shrine in 1989. The Vatican recognised the miracle in 2019. Marion will speak about the healing power of God in her life.

On Tuesday evening the guest speaker will be Tim Shriver. Tim is the CEO of the Special Olympics. His mother Eunice Shriver, a sister of President John F Kennedy started the Special Olympics.

Tim will speak about the beauty of every human being made in the image and likeness of God and our call to unite as one in doing good.

On Wednesday evening Eunan McMullan is the guest speaker. Eunan was a barrister in Belfast who heard the call of God to leave it all and go to Assisi in Italy and join the Franciscans in the place where St Francis lived and had his conversion.

Eunan will speak about the power of God to call and lead us in our lives.

On Thursday evening the guest speaker will be Alexander McLean. Alexander trained as a barrister and magistrate. He is the founder of Justice Defenders which is based in Uganda and seeks to improve the lives of people imprisoned in Africa.

Alexander will speak about our call to be committed to justice especially for the weakest and most vulnerable.

On Friday evening Brendan McGinn will be the guest speaker. Brendan is the principal of St Mary’s College, Derry and a parishioner of St Eugene’s Cathedral.

Brendan will speak about our call as members of the Church to reflect the love of Jesus in a purely practical way.

On Saturday morning, May 13 at 10.00am, Mass will be celebrated for all those who have died.

The close of the Novena will be on Sunday May 14 at 3.00pm with the blessing of the roses.

Fr Paul Farren from St Eugene’s Cathedral said: “Everyone is welcome to come to the Cathedral for these nine days of prayer and joy. Each year the Novena brings so many blessings and miracles to people’s lives. It is powerful.”